Auli'i Cravalho's Buzzcut Was Pretty in Pink (and Pearls) at the 'Mean Girls' Premiere

"Girl meets pearl."

Auli'i Cravalho
(Image credit: Getty Images)

On Mondays, Auli'i Cravalho wears pink. Actually, since she dyed her hair, she's technically wearing the shade every day—but this Monday was special! It marked the New York premiere of Mean Girls and the singer had major glam, complete with an array of tiny pearls, to complete the bubblegum buzzcut.

Walking the red carpet on Monday, January 8, Cravalho—who plays Janice Ian in the new musical—wore a black satin gown from Ferragamo. Paired with her pink hair and makeup, the look echoed the movie's quintessential color scheme (which her costars also rocked for the night).

The pink-and-pearl glam was courtesy of celebrity hairstylist Cynthia Alvarez and makeup artist Kirin Bhatty. Starting from the top, Alvarez slicked down the 23-year-old's short hair, styling the locks in a series of swoops. Along the edges, she applied tiny pearls in little rows. The entire style looked incredibly well-thought out—precision plus punk equals perfection.

A post shared by Kirin Bhatty

A photo posted by kirinstagram on

The theme continued on Cravalho's face. "Girl meets pearl," wrote Bhatty in an Instagram close-up of the look, which featured winged eyes (the wing itself being a line of pearls, held in place by Duo Lash Glue), icy pink shadow (via Shiseido's InnerGlow Cheek Makeup: Blush and Highlighter in "Medusa Pink"), and glossy lips (Charlotte Tilbury's Lip Lustre Gloss in "Candy Darling"). A cluster of gems was also placed above the Hawaii native's right eye, toward the inner corner. The left eye featured a smattering of bling below.

"Auli’i loves to experiment with different looks and has such an open spirit. When we were talking over the initial makeup look together, the vision was to have some kind of embellishment on the eye. It wasn’t always pearls, but then Auli’i suggested them and I went from there with tone and placement. The look just formed organically, and I’m so happy with how everything turned out," Bhatty tells Marie Claire.

According to the makeup artist, the pearl idea came before the pink. But, as Cravalho's hair was already dyed, the entire look came together naturally.

"The pearls were first! The pink tones just felt so airy and light to me, and also a nod not only to Auli’i’s gorgeous hair color but also to Mean Girls and the pink carpet for the premiere!"

Auli'i Cravalho

(Image credit: Getty Images)

The Moana voice actress first went pink earlier this week, sharing a number of photos of the new shade to her Instagram page. "So you agree… you think I’m really pretty," she wrote in the caption of one of the posts.

"The inspiration for this color came from Auli’i herself! I started doing hair in the NYC punk scene in 2013 which gave me a strong foundation in alt hair colors," shared the colorist who tackled the hue, Elyssa Oliver. "At my collectively run queer salon, Saturn Sixteen, we believe hair should reflect the individual, not just a trend. For Auli’i, I created a custom blend using Pravana colors for a pearlescent effect."

Pink, pearly, and really pretty.

Sophia Vilensky
Freelance Writer

Sophia Vilensky is a Freelance Beauty Writer at Marie Claire with a beauty, wellness, and entertainment journalism portfolio that includes contributions to Byrdie, Bravo, Teen Vogue, and Us Weekly. Growing up in a family of beauticians—and through her own personal studies—she developed an in-depth understanding of aesthetics, cosmetic product formulation, and beauty treatment development and has also held roles as a senior copywriter, content strategist, and proofreader for top beauty and wellness brands. Even so, you'd be hard pressed to find her with her hair and makeup actually done. Sophia is based in Minneapolis and is a 2019 graduate of the University of Minnesota, where she majored in English and minored in cinema studies. During her time at the university, she was the Arts & Entertainment Editor for the Minnesota Daily, earning the 2019 Editor of the Year award for her work. She connected deeply with the Twin Cities arts scene, collaborating with leading beauty professionals, designers, and artists. Graduating Summa Cum Laude, her thesis—a close-reading of Vanderpump Rules—was featured on NPR. When not immersed in writing or testing new products, Sophia enjoys watching reality TV, reading, and exploring the newest woo-woo wellness trends. Keep up with her on Instagram @sophiavilensky.